Thursday, November 1, 2012

Saint Augustine's University To Host 2014 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Campus

GEORGE WILLIAMS
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/
 Head Men's and Women's Track
and Field/Cross Country Coach
Saint Augustine's University
RALEIGH, North Carolina  -- Saint Augustine's University has been selected to host the 2014 NCAA Division II Outdoor Men's and Women's Track & Field Championships, the NCAA announced Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012. The event will take place May 22-24 at the Saint Augustine's University Stadium in the George Williams Athletic Complex.

“The University's track and field program has always been a source of great pride and accomplishment,” said Dr. Dianne Boardley Suber, President of Saint Augustine's University. “The selection to be the host institution for the 2014 NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships is a perfect fit for the direction in which the athletic program is headed. We look forward to hosting the nation's finest track and field athletes and providing them with a truly memorable experience.”

The national championships will allow Saint Augustine's University to showcase one of the top NCAA Division II track and field facilities in the nation. Saint Augustine's University hosted the national championships two other times but it was at Paul Derr Track on the campus of North Carolina State University in 1994 and 2000.

The University's selection as the 2014 host site holds a special place in the heart of long-time Head Coach George Williams of Saint Augustine's University. Williams, whom the complex is named after, has guided the men's and women's track and field program to 31 NCAA Division II championships and approximately 150 CIAA titles in his 36 year tenure.

“We are thrilled to be selected as the host for the 2014 NCAA outdoor track and field championships at the new SAU stadium,” said Williams, the University's athletic director. “Even though this is our third time hosting, this will be the first time the event is held on the campus itself. We have received tremendous support from our president, Dr. Dianne Boardley Suber. It is her vision which will allow us to host an event of this magnitude. I can promise you that we will do everything we can to make this a great experience for participants and spectators alike.”

Saint Augustine's University will host approximately 750 student-athletes from NCAA Division II colleges and universities throughout the nation. The result will be a great economic boom to the community, as area hotels and restaurants are expected to receive major benefits from the event.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE

Vikings Notebook: ECSU looks to Davis for big plays

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina  --  The situation was getting desperate.
Elizabeth City State was clinging to a six-point lead in the final moments of Saturday’s game against Virginia Union, and a last-gasp Panthers rally had put the ball on the Vikings’ 14-yard line.

“Coach said we needed a big play, so he looked to one of his big-play guys,” said ECSU senior defensive end Brad Davis, who just happens to be one of those guys.

Sure enough, Davis delivered. He blew through the Virginia Union offensive line and dumped quarterback Kenneth Graham for an 8-yard loss on an attempted boot-leg play.

Two incomplete passes later, Elizabeth City State had a 27-21 win that clinched a second consecutive Northern Division title and a second straight berth in the CIAA championship game.

“They got me one time on the ...
 

Mobile sweeps XU Gold Nuggets after rallying in first two sets

MOBILE, Ala. — Disah Kolassiba had 14 kills and Bailey Nations 10 Tuesday to lead Mobile to a 25-21, 28-26, 25-16 women's volleyball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.
    

The Lady Rams (23-10) rallied from deficits of 20-18 in the first set and 20-17 in the second set to help them end the three-match win streak of the Gold Nuggets (16-7). Mobile swept the two-match season series from Xavier and is 3-0 all-time at home against the Nuggets.
    

Xavier University of Louisiana's 2012 women's volleyball team

ROSTER
Moira Kirk had 13 kills, and Jodi Chatters had 10 digs for Xavier. Kirk reached double figures in kills for the fifth time in six matches.
    
Kolassiba had three kills and a block in Mobile's 7-1 run to end the first set. Xavier trailed 13-9 in that set before grabbing momentum with an 11-5 run which included Kirk's two kills and a block.
    
Xavier failed to even the match despite leads of 15-9 and 17-11. Nations and Kiara Gay had two kills apiece in Mobile's next comeback, and the Lady Rams won the second set after three Chinedu Echebelem attack errors in the final four rallies.
    
Kolassiba's kill put Mobile ahead to stay, 10-9, in the third set. The Nuggets were still in contention at 17-15 before Mobile closed with eight points — including three Nations kills and two Nicole Armstrong aces — in the final nine serves.
    
Mobile outhit Xavier .282 to .090 and had advantages of 45-29 in kills and 6-1 in aces. XU standout Taylor Reuther equaled a season low with four kills — one in 13 swings in the final two sets — and served no aces for the second consecutive match. Reuther began the day as the NAIA leader with 0.84 aces per set — two-hundredths of an ace ahead of UT Brownsville's Danica Markovic. Reuther had 19 kills at home in a four-set victory against Belhaven on Monday.
    
The loss was Xavier's second in a row on the road after a school-record 11 consecutive road victories.
    
Xavier can clinch its second consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship with a victory Thursday against city rival SUNO. That match will start at 7 p.m. at The Barn. The regular-season finale will be 7 p.m. Saturday at GCAC and city rival Dillard, then the Nuggets will travel to Little Rock, Ark., for the GCAC Tournament on Nov. 8-10.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Convocation Center replaces The Barn at Xavier University


The brand new construction ushers in a new era for Xavier Athletics

Story by Peter Mayer Advertising


NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) is heralding in a new era of athletics with a series of events celebrating the opening of the Convocation Center and Annex. The Convocation Center will become the home of XULA men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball and replaces The Barn, a 1,300-seat gymnasium opened in 1937.
 
"The Barn will always be a part of Xavier’s history, but I look forward to seeing the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets continue their winning traditions as well as establishing new traditions in the Convocation Center," says Dr. Norman C. Francis, President of XULA.
    

The new center boasts more than 93,000 square feet of athletic space with over 3,500 seats that can be reconfigured for a variety of purposes. The end stage and center stage arrangement allows flexibility for athletic and other large-scale events. A state-of-the-art scoreboard system includes four LED displays providing live and recorded video.
    
The facility cost approximately $2.5 million. Construction began in April. Manning Architects designed the facility, and Gibbs Construction built it. Streets bordering the courts are Stroelitz to the north, Palm to the south, Pine to the west and Broadway to the east.

The Convocation Center will be the home of, among other things,
XU men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball.

PDF notes from XU Sports Information
The Convocation Center also includes weight room facilities with taping and training areas as well as coaches' offices and home and visitor locker rooms. A monumental staircase at the entrance leads to a high-end VIP suite, and a dramatic second floor pre-function area that allows views to the outdoor plaza below while providing natural daylight into the facility.

Supporting the Convocation Center is the Xavier University Convocation Annex that houses classrooms, athletic storage, and athletic offices as well as a "green" parking lot with pervious paving and solar panels. The Convocation Center and Annex are anticipated to be LEED Silver Buildings and incorporate community connectivity, water conservation, energy efficiency, recycled and regional materials, and improved indoor air quality. These are the first LEED certified projects for Xavier University.
    
"Xavier's continued expansion is a reflection of the growth this University has seen over the last 75 years," stated Ray Manning of Manning Architects, the architects for the two structures. "The Convocation Center's capacity is three times that of The Barn, ensuring the multi-use facility can accommodate Xavier's growing needs."
    
The Convocation Center is across Washington Avenue from the main campus on a site bounded by Short, Palm and Stroelitz streets. A pedestrian bridge will be constructed across Washington Avenue to give the XULA community better access to the new building.
    
A series of grand opening events will be held Saturday, November 3 beginning at 10 a.m. with a community tailgate party. The schedule is as follows:

 
Xavier University Convocation Center Grand Opening Schedule of Events

Saturday November 3, 2012

Tailgating
10 a.m.
Open to the Public — requests from media for interviews and photos will be honored.

Ribbon Cutting and Blessing of the Facility
11:30 a.m.
Open to the Public - requests from media for interviews and photos will be honored


 
Basketball Doubleheader
Men's game — Xavier vs. Morehouse , 1 p.m.
Women's game — Xavier vs. Johnson & Wales (Fla.), 3 p.m.
Doubleheader tickets available for $10 — requests from media for interviews and photos will be honored.


About Manning Architects
Manning Architects is an architecture, interior design, and urban design and planning firm based in New Orleans, Louisiana that provides a comprehensive range of professional design services. Formed in 1985, it has consistently ranked as one of the five largest architectural firms in New Orleans. The company is large enough to successfully undertake complex, large-scale projects, yet small enough to remain sensitive to the needs of individual clients with limited resources. Over the years the firm has designed facilities for a wide range of clients in transportation, educational, commercial, civic, cultural, and hospitality. The staff of Manning Architects has expertise in all phases of design and construction, including site evaluation, urban planning and feasibility studies, project programming and design, construction document preparation, and construction ' management and administration. For more information, go to www.manningarchitects.com.

About Xavier

Xavier University of Louisiana is a private, co-educational institution offering a comprehensive liberal arts program and professional programs, including 38 undergraduate majors, five master’s degree programs and a doctor of pharmacy program. Xavier is the only historically Black, Catholic university in the United States and draws students from 39 states, Washington, D.C., Guam, the Virgin Islands and 7 foreign countries. For more information contact Xavier University of Louisiana, 1 Drexel Drive, New Orleans LA 70125, Phone: 504-520-7568, Fax 504-520-7933.
The Xavier Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets compete in Division I of the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) as a member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference(GCAC). Xavier fields men's teams in basketball, cross country, tennis and track and field and women's teams in basketball, cross country, tennis, track and field and volleyball.
 

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

Grambling State host SWAC foe Jackson State Saturday

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  --  No matter how his team's most recent game is evaluated, Doug Williams knows that the bottom line is another loss at Grambling State University.

"Whether you lose by three or 30 points, it's still a defeat at the end of the day," said the Tigers' head coach. "You simply can't get around it, no matter how you look at it."

This past weekend, the G-Men (1-6, 0-5) lodged deeper in the Western Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference race with a 23-20 road loss against Texas Southern University.

It was the third time this season that Grambling had lost a game by three or fewer points.

But in a campaign that is fast becoming arguably the most disappointing in the school's legendary history, such an analysis doesn't take away any of the hurt.

"It's our job as coaches to get our players in a position to win consistently and we just haven't been doing it," Williams said. "You can make all of the  ...

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Tuskegee University closing in on SIAC championship

TUSKEGEE, Alabama — After winning seven consecutive games, the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers are one game away from playing for the SIAC football championship. In their way is the only other team that is undefeated in conference play: the Golden Bears of Miles College.

Tuskegee will play for the SIAC West Division Championship Saturday against the defending SIAC champion, Miles College in Fairfield, Ala. A win could essentially add two major games to this year's schedule, with a third trip to Atlanta looming at Lakewood Stadium Nov. 10. The winner of Saturday's game will play the winner of the SIAC East Division Championship (also on Saturday), which will be played in Columbus, Ga. between Fort Valley State (7-2 overall; 5-1 in SIAC with one conference loss coming to Tuskegee) and Albany State (6-3 overall; 5-1 in SIAC with one conference loss coming to Miles College).

If Tuskegee were to emerge as conference champion, the Golden Tigers would represent the SIAC in the annual Pioneer Bowl, which is the postseason showcase between representatives of the SIAC and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). The CIAA is the oldest black athletic conference in the nation and is the only other major conference in NCAA Division II comprised of  historically black colleges and universities. Tuskegee dominates Pioneer Bowl history, having won seven out of the nine contests that the Golden Tigers have participated in since the game's inception in 1997.

This Saturday's matchup stirs up ...

TSU Tigers travel to Murray State to take on Racers

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -  Nationally-ranked Tennessee State will play at Murray State at 11 a.m. CST on Saturday as part of the OVC TV Game of the Week package. The game will air live on FOX College Sports Pacific and delayed at 11 p.m. CST on FOX Sports South.

The matchup features a pair of coaches who are in the third season at their respective schools. #18 TSU is coming off a win with no time on the clock vs. Tennessee Tech to improve to 8-1 on the season and sit atop the OVC standings, while Murray State is coming off a three-point loss at Jacksonville State.

The Tigers rebounded from its only loss of the season (a 3-point overtime defeat at Jacksonville State) to come-from- behind and beat Tennessee Tech 22-21 on Saturday. For the second straight home game the contest game down to the final play of the game as Michael German completed a six-yard touchdown pass to A.C. Leonard with no time on the clock to tie the game and Jamin Godfrey nailed an extra point to lift his team to the victory.
 
Godfrey was named National Special Teams Player of the Week after going 5-for-5 in field goals (connecting from 37, 32, 27, 41 and 22) and nailing the winning PAT. The five made field goals set a TSU single-game record and are tied for the most in the FCS this season.
 
Leonard finished the game with eight catches for 102 yards and the winning score. Leonard currently ranks second among FCS tight ends in receiving yards (528) and third in receptions (37).

German finished the day 24-of-40 for 294 yards and the game-winning score.
 
Defensive back Steven Godbolt III picked off sixth pass of the season and now leads all FCS players nationally in interceptions/game (0.67). As a team the Tigers lead the OVC and rank 15th nationally in scoring defense (18.56 points/game) and 34th in total defense (338.67/game).
 
Murray State suffered its second-straight OVC loss, losing 38-35 at Jacksonville State on Saturday. The Racers tied the game at 35 in the third quarter but was unable to score in the fourth quarter and JSU connected on a 38-yard field goal with 8:51 left to win the game.


Following that game the team’s three losses to OVC foes this season have come by a combined 11 points. Senior quarterback Casey Brockman did become the OVC’s career passing leader, increasing his total to 9,187 yards and passing Morehead State’s Chris Swartz (1987-90). Brockman completed 19-of-36 passes for 255 yards while also rushing for two touchdowns. Brockman now needs just 231 yards to hold the OVC career record for total offense. Duane Brady added 71 rushing yards and two rushing scores.
 
Walter Powell, who entered the game in the Top 10 nationally in receptions/game and receiving yards/game was held without a catch. Brandon Hathaway finished the game with five tackles, a tackle-for-loss, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery; he currently ranks third nationally in fumble recoveries/ game (0.38). As a team MSU ranks fifth nationally in scoring offense (39.5 points/game) and total offense (491.0 yards/game).

Because of a scheduling quirk this marks the third-straight year the game has been played at Murray State. Saturday marks the 24th all-time meeting between the teams and the series has been virtually even with MSU holding a 12-11 advantage. The Racers have won the last four in the series including 58-27 a season ago.
 
A year ago Murray State racked up 707 yards of total offense as Casey Brockman passed for an OVC record 600 yards and seven touchdowns in the victory. Walter Powell caught nine of those passes for 147 yards and a score. Michael German passed for 121 yards and a score for the Tigers.


COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION